In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,043 there is disclosed an improved Automatic Slack Adjuster incorporating a member cooperating with a slack adjuster rotor to determine a reference position for the rotor and to return the rotor to such reference position at the completion of each brake operational cycle, wherein the rotor is additionally coupled to a reciprocating operating link movable by a brake operator for rotating the rotor in a first direction when brakes are applied and a second direction when such brakes are released. Typically, these slack adjusters are designed for use with vehicles having large wheels fitted with brake drums on the order of sixteen and one-half inch diameters.
The only problem encountered with this prior slack adjuster is that of installing the adjuster in certain brake installations, such as those used on vehicles using small diameter wheels and associated small brake drums on the order of six and one-half inch diameters, and characterized as not allowing sufficient room for normal operating movements of the slack adjusters.
The present invention is directed to a modification of the slack adjuster construction disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,043, which allows for its installation in confined environments.
More specifically, the present invention contemplates a two-fold modification of the structure of the prior slack adjuster disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,043, which consists of replacing its one piece operating link with a two part operating link, wherein a first or inner link part is slidably supported by the housing of the slack adjuster and has its inner end shaped in the same manner as an inner end of the one piece link of the prior slack adjuster and a second or outer link part shaped to provide an inner end slidably supported by the housing and an outer end adapted for pivotal coupling to a brake actuator; and a toothed gear is arranged for engagement with a first rack carried by an outer end of the first link part and a second rack carried by the inner end of the second link part. Further, the operating arm of the present housing is inclined relative to the position assumed by the operating arm of the prior slack adjuster.